Architect of collapsed Miami condo was suspended prior for toppled structures
More than a decade before William Friedman designed the collapsed Surfside condominium, Florida’s board of architecture suspended him for six months for designing structures that toppled during Hurricane Betsy. Sign pylons that were “an integral part of the structure” of a Miami commercial building failed during the 1965 storm, according to documents from the Florida State Board of Architecture, obtained by The Real Deal.In its order suspending Friedman, the Florida Board of Architecture wrote that the pylons were “insufficient and grossly inadequate” and were not in accordance “to accepted standards of architectural practice.” In 1966, the board found Friedman guilty of “gross incompetency, in that he negligently, improperly, and carelessly” designed the pylons. The architect’s suspension started on June 1, 1967 and ended on December 1 of that year. This discovery adds to the list of controversies relating to the collapsed apartment complex, which includes a 2018 engineer’s report, warning of “major structural damage.” There currently isn’t evidence that Friedman’s design played a role in the collapse. Previously on Archinect: 2018 report of collapsed Miami complex warned of “major structural damage” and error in designAccording to The Real Deal, this wasn’t the first time Friedman was questioned by the Florida Board of Architecture. Records show that he was examined for alleged plan stamping, an ...
More than a decade before William Friedman designed the collapsed Surfside condominium, Florida’s board of architecture suspended him for six months for designing structures that toppled during Hurricane Betsy. Sign pylons that were “an integral part of the structure” of a Miami commercial building failed during the 1965 storm, according to documents from the Florida State Board of Architecture, obtained by The Real Deal.
In its order suspending Friedman, the Florida Board of Architecture wrote that the pylons were “insufficient and grossly inadequate” and were not in accordance “to accepted standards of architectural practice.” In 1966, the board found Friedman guilty of “gross incompetency, in that he negligently, improperly, and carelessly” designed the pylons. The architect’s suspension started on June 1, 1967 and ended on December 1 of that year.
This discovery adds to the list of controversies relating to the collapsed apartment complex, which includes a 2018 engineer’s report, warning of “major structural damage.” There currently isn’t evidence that Friedman’s design played a role in the collapse.
According to The Real Deal, this wasn’t the first time Friedman was questioned by the Florida Board of Architecture. Records show that he was examined for alleged plan stamping, an ...
